Irrigation devices are commonly used in the medical field to flush a body cavity with a stream of liquid for facilitating lavage. For example, in urogolical surgery irrigation devices are generally utilized for washing out the urinary bladder with a suitable sterile liquid. In addition, a number of presently available devices remove particulate matter carried by the withdrawn liquid for examination by a laboratory.
Presently used irrigation devices may utilize an apparatus wherein the fluid is circulated through the body cavity by the compression and expansion of a syringe, of the type shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,892,226 and 4,282,873 or an apparatus incorporating a number of coacting single action piston pumps as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,137.
A disadvantage of syringe type irrigation devices is the lack of sufficient and controllable pressure to efficiently and quickly circulate the fluid through the body cavity. Irrigation devices with piston pump mechanisms are generally complex in configuration and operation, in that such devices must be provided with accurately spaced and coacting inlet and outlet ports, as well as oppositely-working pistons.